Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Midface Hypoplasia and Cranial Base Morphology in Syndromic Craniosynostosis: A Comparative Analysis Study Using a Predictive Regression Model
Published on: November 4, 2025
Parental craniofacial morphology in cleft lip with or without cleft palate as determined by cephalometry: a
S M Weinberg1, B S Maher, M L Marazita
1Center for Craniofacial and Dental Genetics, Division of Oral Biology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA. smwst46@sdmgenetics.pitt.edu
Objective:
To integrate findings from previous cephalometric studies comparing the craniofacial complex of unaffected parents with cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL/P) children to controls with no history of the disease.
Design:
Meta-analysis of case-control cephalometric data.
Inclusion Criteria:
Studies were selected if the unaffected parents of children with CL/P were included and were not combined with parents of children with isolated CP; quantitative data were obtained through cephalometry; the cephalometric variables used were not unique to a study; a case-control design was used; and the means and standard deviations for all variables were reported or could be calculated for both the experimental and the control group.
Outcome Measure:
Using raw data obtained from nine studies, mean weighted effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for 28 cephalometric variables (mothers and fathers combined) or 18 variables (mothers and fathers separately). Heterogeneity statistics for the effect sizes were also calculated.
Results:
In general, unaffected parents of children with CL/P possessed significantly wider interorbital, nasal cavity and upper facial dimensions, narrower cranial vaults, longer cranial bases, longer and more protrusive mandibles, shorter upper faces and longer lower faces compared with controls. Increased width of the nasal cavity was the most robust finding. Significant effect size heterogeneity was observed in roughly half of the variables examined.
Conclusion:
Unaffected parents of children with CL/P are characterized by a suite of consistent, yet subtle, craniofacial differences, which could indicate an underlying genetic liability.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...
01:08Overview of the Skull
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...